Thursday, April 30, 2009

April 30 (Bloomberg) -- A heat wave in northern and western India may spread to more regions before abating by the weekend, the country's weather office said.

Temperatures in New Delhi climbed to 43.5 degrees Celsius (110.3 Fahrenheit) yesterday, the highest in 50 years and five degrees Celsius more than normal, the India Meteorological Department said on its Web site.

The heat wave has killed at least 67 people, with 9 deaths being reported in the eastern Orissa state, the Press Trust of India said. Temperatures reached 47.1 degrees Celsius in Nagpur in the western state of Maharashtra yesterday, the agency said.

The hot weather conditions may spread to parts of Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in two days, the weather bureau said.

India's monsoon rains, forecast to be near normal this year, may arrive a week earlier than the normal June 1 date, the bureau said earlier this week. The nation's central region may receive more rainfall than last year, while showers in the southern parts of the country will be same as last year, it said.

KANPUR: Breaking the record of the last eight years, Wednesday proved to be the hottest day in the month of April. With the maximum temperature of the day climbing to 43.8 degrees

celsius, April 29 also was recorded as the hottest day of the season so far. It seems Kanpurites are in for some terribly hot weather in coming days.

The mercury and election fever were both at their peak on Wednesday. The Met officials have predicted that the temperature is likely to stay at the same mark for the next couple of days.

On Wednesday, the maximum temperature was at an all time high of 43.8 degrees celsius, four degrees above normal. The minimum was recorded at 23 degrees celsius. According to the meteorological department, warm and dry westerly winds have caused the temperature to rise. The winds are essentially dry. Humidity on Wednesday ranged between 45 per cent and 19 per cent. The coming few days will be hot and dry," said weather scientist, Dr Anirudh Dubey.

Notably, the maximum temperature last year in April had gone up to 42.2 degrees celsius on the same day. This year, the mark has been reached several times already, the highest being 43.8 degrees celsius on April 29. According to data available with the Met department, the average maximum temperature in April is 39.9 degrees celsius. The maximum for the month of April was 44.1 degrees celsius in 2001.

Owing to the blazing sun, the streets remained deserted all through the day, despite Wednesday being the eve of the biggest democratic event. The candidates and their supporters were seen braving the scorching heat to give final touches to their preparations for the D-Day.

However, apprehensive about the heat likely to turn a spoilsport on the polling day, Dr Anirudh appealed to the denizens to not make the hot weather an excuse for abstaining from voting. "One must take preventive measures before stepping out in the sun, but must definitely go to polling booths to exercise their right. After all, we are empowered to speak our mind through vote and thus shouldn't let the chance to prove ourselves as responsible citizens of the country go waste," added Dr Anirudh

Thanks to high pressure set right over the middle of India, the nation was the site of earth's hottest weather of the day. Of the sites for which I have data, I have the two Maharashtra cities, Nagpur (47.1 degrees C) and Akola (47.0), `neck and neck` as the top two hot spots (near 117 degrees F, by the way).

Elsewhere, highs above 45 degrees C/113 degrees F were set from Rajasthan and Haryana east to Jharkhand and Orissa. If our data are right, the high of 43.5 degrees C at Delhi was higher than the hottest of 2008 (43.0).

In Pakistan, meanwhile, it cooled--if the 46 degrees at Nawabshah can be said to be `cooler`. Cooling was substantial, though, at Karachi, as if to say that the building of the strong ridge aloft had ended. The high was a relatively normal 34.5 degrees, down much from the abnormal 42.2 degrees of Wednesday. As I had said earlier in the week, I believe that Karachi gets its hottest weather when upper ridges build, but when the building ends, cooling off the sea increases.

--Looking forward, the heat will be severe over the Subcontinent as a whole through the day on Sunday. Thereafter, weakening of the high aloft will coincide with weak cooling. So, from Sindh and southern Punjab east as far as western West Bengal, India, I look for widespread 42-46 degree heat inland. Sea breezes, I believe, will keep Mumbai and Karachi moderate.

Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) with activity against influenza viruses, including swine influenza viruses. Antiviral drugs can be used to treat swine flu or to prevent infection with swine flu viruses. These medications must be prescribed by a health care professional. Influenza antiviral drugs only work against influenza viruses -- they will not help treat or prevent symptoms caused by infection from other viruses that can cause symptoms similar to the flu.

There are four influenza antiviral drugs approved for use in the United States (oseltamivir, zanamivir, amantadine and rimantadine). The swine influenza A (H1N1) viruses that have been detected in humans in the United States and Mexico are resistant to amantadine and rimantadine so these drugs will not work against these swine influenza viruses. Laboratory testing on these swine influenza A (H1N1) viruses so far indicate that they are susceptible (sensitive) to oseltamivir and zanamivir.

Benefits of Antiviral Drugs

Treatment: If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious influenza complications. Influenza antiviral drugs work best when started soon after illness onset (within two 2 days), but treatment with antiviral drugs should still be considered after 48 hours of symptom onset, particularly for hospitalized patients or people at high risk for influenza-related complications.

Prevention: Influenza antiviral drugs also can be used to prevent influenza when they are given to a person who is not ill, but who has been or may be near a person with swine influenza. When used to prevent the flu, antiviral drugs are about 70% to 90% effective. When used for prevention, the number of days that they should be used will vary depending on a person's particular situation.

CDC Recommendation

CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses.

Oseltamivir (brand name Tamiflu ®) is approved to both treat and prevent influenza A and B virus infection in people one year of age and older.

Zanamivir (brand name Relenza ®) is approved to treat influenza A and B virus infection in people 7 years and older and to prevent influenza A and B virus infection in people 5 years and older.

Recommendations for using antiviral drugs for treatment or prevention of swine influenza will change as we learn more about this new virus.

BHUBANESWAR: At least 20 people were feared killed when a tornado hit about 11 villages under Rajkanika Block of Kendrapara district of Orissa on Tuesday.

Official sources, however, confirmed eight deaths and said the toll was likely to increase when rescue teams entered the affected villages.

According to initial reports, the tragedy took place around 4.40 p.m. when the tornado caught the villagers unawares. Hundreds of houses were damaged in the villages that were spread over a five kilometre radius. Such was the intensity of the tornado that people were lifted to a height of 25 to 30 ft.

According to Kendrapara District Sub-Collector Ranjan Kumar Das, personnel of Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force were on their way to the affected villages for rescue and relief operation.

Rescue work was hampered because of darkness and roadblocks caused by hundreds of uprooted trees.